Ideal conditions for viewing medical images are hard to come by and have led to the development of rooms designed explicitly for that purpose. These dark rooms provide several advantages, one of which is optimal contrast for viewing certain types of images, for example, medical imaging produced through radiology. Diagnostic medical images are typically obtained by utilizing multiple technologies, including Ultrasound, X-ray, Computer Tomography (CT scan), Magnetic Resonance Tomography (MRI), Nuclear medicine, and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The obtained images are in DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) format and are viewed utilizing a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) on corresponding diagnostic monitors. For optimal viewing of these images on said diagnostic monitors, it is desirable to optimize contrast in order to better detect medically significant features.
In typical reading stations utilized by medical professionals, there are multiple monitors that allow the medical professional to review the entire series of images for a particular exam. During review, the medical professional also utilizes all relevant prior exams and cross modality images to aid in interpretation; these prior exams and cross modality images are displayed on additional monitors. Further, there are typically monitors provided for reviewing patient data from clinical notes and pathology reports to again assist in interpretation. The ability to easily see and review all this information is very beneficial, but one drawback is that the multi-monitor setup increases ambient light which in turn diminishes visual acuity. It is desirable to address the issue of diminished visual acuity while maintaining the advantages of a multi-monitor setup.
The present invention assists with such viewing by allowing for contrast to be optimized via filtering of light. Both color filters and transmittance filters can be used to control the color of the image and brightness of the surrounding area. This allows for an optimal level of contrast to be achieved for any given image. Filtering mechanisms may be of an active/smart type, a passive type, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable in a variety of fields beyond medical imaging.
While devices exist which can serve similar purposes, they are lacking in one or more areas. Compared to these existing devices, the present invention has several advantages. For one, the present invention is compact and ergonomic, allowing it to be comfortably worn over a long duration (e.g., several hours). The construction of the present invention also does not directly contact radiological images. Other advantages include an unrestricted field of view, the option for both active and passive light filtration, reduction of ambient light, and overall improved visual acuity and optimal image contrast.
The present invention helps maintain activation of rods in the eye for low light level viewing by filtering light. This is advantageous as it takes a long time for the eye to activate rods in place of cones, time which is saved by the present invention. The present invention's focus on optimizing visual acuity and contrast is beneficial as it accentuates the sensitivity of eyes to spectra.